Behind Enemy Lines
by Awesome Jaymee
Summary: Captured by the enemy, Yuffie tries to stay alive by flying under the radar, but to no avail, she has perked the interest of the Bastion's General and Prince. Leon-Yuffie-Cloud
1. Prologue

**BEHIND ENEMY LINES**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in Kingdom Hearts. Just a fan who wants to write fanfiction and indulge herself in her love triangles. :D

_Captured by the enemy, Yuffie tries to stay alive by flying under the radar, but to no avail, she has perked the interest of the Bastion's General and Prince. Leon-Yuffie-Cloud_

Prologue

"Hah, try me!" She taunted. Her bruised lips curled into a smirk as she spat a threat. "I don't find you scary nor do you intimidate me. I'm not scared of you." Her mahogany eyes burned with determination as she tried to stand her ground. Her legs began to shake slightly, but she did not care. She would never let him get under her skin. The enemy would never win.

She could feel him tower over as he stepped closer to her. He had an intimidating presence; however, she would never let him know. This man would never break her.

"For someone so weak," he began smoothly as his eyes narrowed down to meet hers, "You sure do talk big." He pushed her into the corner of the uninviting cell causing her to let out a small squeak of surprise. Moving in front of the brown-haired-girl, he put both of his hands against the frayed wall using his arms to block her from moving away. He leaned in, his icy blue eyes becoming more vivid in the moonlight.

"Kisaragi," he growled.

"It's Yuffie," she interjected only to cause him to growl more loudly.

"If we did not need you to win this war, I would gladly kill you with my bare hands." His eyes burned with truth, a look that gave Yuffie a small uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach. Still, she found herself retorting to his comment.

"What an honor to receive from the King's most worshipped general. I feel _special._" The words slipped off of her tongue like water on wax paper. Yuffie's word must have struck a nerve because the general slammed his hands against the wall causing her to wince slightly. Tensing her body, the young girl decided that no matter the outcome, she would never let him get the satisfaction of intimidating her. He would not win.

"When that day comes," he slowly started, "The day we kill your leader and crush all your friends, crush your family… I will come for you myself. I will make sure that haughty mouth of yours is silenced." His eyes bore into hers as he looked at her intently. The night rang stillness as if the world was only focused on this one moment. Yuffie looked away as his stare seemed to sting.

"Until then," she mustered unable to look at him but raised her arms to push him away, "You can't touch me. Your _King_ commanded so."

The next thing she knew, her body felt tight and uncomfortable as if she was being pressed harshly against the wall. She let out a small yelp as she felt his body press up against hers trapping her against the wall underneath him. His lips lightly grazed her neck as his hot breathe scathed her skin.

"L-Leon!" She cried weakly. Unsure of what to do because she could not move, she closed her eyes. Yuffie felt his hand run up the side of her neck and through her hair. A wave of fear ran through her body causing the hairs to stand up on her skin. The general was quick to overpower her; the young rebel feared for the worst. A small chuckle escaped his mouth.

"Not scared, huh?" He laughed quietly. Pulling away, Yuffie slid to the ground unable to control her movements. Leon backed away to gaze at the mess before him or at least what he could see of her in the dark cell. "What the king can't see, he doesn't have to know."

The young girl snapped her gaze towards him instantly trying to see if his eyes lied. Leon gave a playful smirk. The attractive general knew he had the advantage, yet he went no further. Yuffie felt the fear escape her only to find herself being filled with fury.

"You wouldn't dare! You…stupid pig-headed prick!" She cried angrily at him. Suddenly, Leon found himself laughing aloud, an action uncommon and foreign to the general. His actions caused a flood of emotions to overtake Yuffie, confusion strongly dominating. Leon was a cold man by nature. For a moment, his eyes seemed to glimmer with life. Only for a moment. She couldn't find the words to fill her mouth; Yuffie was stunned.

The general found himself turning towards the cell door, laughter still filling the air as he left the cell.

Click. He locked her in.

"W…Wha?" Her eyes set on the cell door. He played her…? Suddenly, her eyes were blazing with fury. "COME BACK, I DARE YOU! I'LL BE READY NEXT TIME!"

Silence.

The suddenly vibrant teenager leaped toward the exit. Shaking the cell bars, Yuffie kicked the door.

"You bastard!" She hissed.

How much more of this would she have to take? When would this war end? When would she have to stop seeing _his_ face? Her thoughts were consumed with questions only to have no immediate answer. She had to escape.

As she moved to sit against the wall, her mind began to wander. If she had not been caught, she wouldn't be in this situation. No stupid cell, no slave duties, and _no Leon_. Why did she have to be so important? Why couldn't she be normal?

"No Yuffie," She chided to herself, "If you were normal, you would be dead." It was true. If Yuffie was not the daughter of Godo, the rebellion leader, her grave would already be made. As a hostage, her father would try everything to get her back. But would it not be better for the King to kill her? The young girl thought so. There must be another reason as to why she was not dead.

Running a hand through her hair, Yuffie let out a sigh that echoed the quiet halls of the long forgotten cells that held prisoners—quite frankly just her.

She found herself peering at the moonlight letting her mind wander back to the events of how her situation came to be.

**Several Months Earlier**

"GET BACK HERE!"

A brown-haired-teenager crashed into a set of boxes full of supplies. Seconds later, two other teenagers crashed into the pile, crushing the boy with brown hair.

"Get up!" The silver-hair-boy exclaimed grasping at the arms of the teenagers who were beneath him.

"I'm trying!" Yuffie gasped. Not too far behind them ran a man with a broom. He waved it wildly in the air with the intent on catching the juveniles. Staggering away, the trio slid into a small alleyway between the buildings just out of the man's sight. The three teenagers squatted behind a few barrels-which were probably filled with some sort of drinking delight. Their chests became tight as they held their breath in anticipation of the man's passing.

As if on cue, the three let out a large sigh as the man ran by, his feet stomping with determination of finding them. The chilled air filled with laughter that radiated relief.

"Man, old man Cid is one scary guy, huh?" The brown-haired-boy breathed.

"He's only scary when you get him mad, Sora," Yuffie chimed trying to hold her laughter. The trio looked around at each other to make sure there was no harm done. Aside from a few scratches, it seemed everyone was content.

"Sorry," Sora apologized, scratching his head. "I didn't know that was his daughter I was talking to. But Riku's the one who made the move!" The aqua-eyed-boy narrowed his eyes at Sora.

"I did not," He replied lowly. "I just asked if she wanted to do anything after sunset."

Yuffie slapped her hand on her forehead letting out a gargled sigh. The two boys turned their gaze over to the teen with question. Then it hit Riku slowly.

"Oh," Riku began, "Godo's going to be mad isn't he?" Yuffie let out a loud sigh.

"Don't worry about it right now," Sora comforted as he put his hand on Yuffie's shoulder, "Godo's not even in the city. It'll be weeks before he even gets wind of old man Cid's tyranny and that's if he doesn't forget about it by then. You know how he is."

'That's right,' Yuffie thought to herself, 'Godo's gone somewhere in secret. It's in the best interest of the rebellion.' Yuffie was too young to participate in the war according to her father; however, she didn't think he would ever let her join the rebellion because she was his only daughter. Godo may have never been father of the year, but Yuffie could sense some sort of distorted love for her.

The war-Yuffie felt her expression fall slightly into sadness as she thought about it. The Kingdom of Bastion was once united. _Once_. When Yuffie was eight, she remembered the rage her father tried not to show her. Half of the kingdom out cried because of a political marriage that was set up to happen. A princess from a foreign land was set up to be the future bride of the prince. It was supposed to unite the kingdoms; however, the kingdom in which this princess resided in was that of an enemy. Decades ago, Bastion was invaded by Twilight kingdoms army, which caused an eight year war between the two rivaling kingdoms. This was before Yuffie's time though. Half of the kingdom split in hopes to overturn the royal families decision, thus the civil war began. Godo, her father, was now leading the revolt.

"Yuffie, you okay?" Riku asked softly, his eyebrows creased with concern. She snapped her gaze to his as she shook her thoughts away.

"Yeah,…I'm fine. Let's go before Cid finds us."

Her gaze wandered to small view of the sky she had in the alleyway.

'I'm going to help regardless of what you say, Dad,' she thought to herself. 'You'll never stop me.'

Author note: Hello!

I hope you liked this prologue. I hope to have my chapters much longer as this is just the prologue. This story will be a romance story between Yuffie, Leon, and Cloud so if that sparks your interest, stick around! Let me know what you think and I will update when I have the chance!

Thanks!


	2. Chapter One

**BEHIND ENEMY LINES**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in Kingdom Hearts. Just a fan who wants to write fan fiction and indulge herself in her love triangles. :D

_Captured by the enemy, Yuffie tries to stay alive by flying under the radar, but to no avail, she has perked the interest of the Bastion's General and Prince. Leon-Yuffie-Cloud_

Chapter One

The cool night sky spangled with glimmering stars, the placid air touching Yuffie's skin softly. Sitting on the roof top, Yuffie, Sora, and Riku quietly drank hot chocolate while listening to the cheers and jeers of their fellow men. Tonight was a night of celebration. A long awaited message from Godo had finally arrived; reinforcement troops were on their way to the city. Godo took many of the troops when he departed a week earlier leaving the city vulnerable, but everyone understood that there was a plan floating around in his mind; he just wasn't ready to reveal it yet.

"The troops will be here tomorrow evening," Riku began, "So that means we only have one more night to be on edge." Yuffie and Sora nodded.

"Until then, it's up to us to protect everybody," Sora added quickly.

"You're scared of a crazy old man waving a broom around. What makes you think you're going to be able to stand up to someone with a sword and shield?" Yuffie inquired. Riku began to laugh as Sora could not find the right words to reply immediately. They all began to laugh at one another enjoying the moment.

"But seriously, we have to try our best. Who are they to say we can't help? We grew up with this rebellion, we're all a part of it, don't you think?" Slumping his shoulders, Sora sighed. "Riku, you and Yuffie are eighteen. I still have a few months before I'm even eligible to join. Why haven't you joined yet? I would be bothering everybody I could to have them help me."

Yuffie pursed her lips together in thought. "Honestly, I don't think they believe we can do it," she commented. Riku and Sora looked at one another in agreement. "I mean," She began, "They haven't seen what we can do, right? That's why they're so skeptical."

"Sora and I don't exactly have the best training, but we can hold a sword and shield. We can fight. Yuffie, you're faster than lightning. It's weird that Godo won't let you help him especially with all the training you've received. I know he gave you the knowledge to defend yourself because you're the daughter of the rebellion's leader, but with a weapon like you, I'm a bit baffled that Godo would stick you in a rebellion city far away from the fight," Riku said aloud as he put his cup down next to him.

"I don't know my father well enough to say," Yuffie said softly. "I think it's his way of showing love or quite frankly pushing me away from his sights. I do look like my mom after all. Maybe I just remind him of her or something. That's my guess-oh?"

Riku had softly knocked his fist against her face to stop her from thinking aloud too much. "Godo is doing his best. He wants you to be happy with friends. Aren't you?"

Yuffie sighed as a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "...Yeah. I mean, you guys wouldn't be here without me." Without warning, Sora and Riku grabbed each arm. "Wha-HEY! No! I don't wanna-"

Crash!

Yuffie landed in the haystack below.

"DAMMIT!" Yuffie screamed. Popping up out of the haystack, she peered up at the rooftop. Sora and Riku had popped their heads over the edge to see if she was alright all the while trying to hold in their laughter. "GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!"

"See you later, Yuffie!" Sora chimed and without warning, Riku and Sora disappeared onto the rooftops. Struggling to remove herself from the haystack, Yuffie fumed furiously to herself yelling profanities and swearing a soon-to-be filled revenge.

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"Miss Kisaragi! Wake up!" A voice rang loudly. Yuffie rolled over in her bed and pulled the covers over her head in hopes to avoid the persistent voice.

"Miss Kisaragi, it's time to get up now! Please wakeup before I have to resort to other methods," the voice warned.

"Go away," Yuffie whined from underneath the covers. "I didn't ask for a wakeup call." Her words were mumbled and came out in jargon.

Cold. It was so... cold!

Yuffie snapped her body up and out of the bed as the covers were sprayed with a waterfall of chilled water.

"DAMMIT!" she screamed wisping out of bed and passed the maid. Leaping into the bathroom, the brown-eyed-girl ripped her clothes off only to be greeted by an icy breeze. "AHH!"

The maid began to fold up the once crisp, yet clean sheets and bedding. Yuffie cracked the door open to glare at the maid, who had rudely woken her up. With a wisp, the maid turned around as if she knew Yuffie was sending knives and daggers in her direction. She immediately shut the bathroom door and angrily asked through the door, "And why did I have to wake up this morning?"

"Your father asked me to keep you on a schedule. He would not entitle 'lazy children' to dawdle all day long in bed. Please get up, eat something, and attend to your studies," the maid commanded. "This is your first warning. Please do not make me do something I do not want to do, Miss Kisaragi." Yuffie mocked her by words trying to impersonate the maid's seriousness silently. "And no mocking!" Yuffie gasped and covered her mouth. How did she know?

After a few moments, Yuffie put her ear against the door. The maid was gone...right? Cracking open the door, the young girl peered around the corner to see if her freedom was in arms reach. She rubbed her tired eyes while stifling a yawn. What did she have to do again?

Glancing over at the bed, an outfit glimmered in the morning sunlight cueing that was her outfit for the day. Yuffie was by no means spoiled. But because of the position her father held, they weren't exactly off in a bad direction either. She didn't care for the frilly-girly stuff, so Yuffie ran over to her dresser and picked out an old tattered green tank top along with a beige pair of shorts that had seen better days. As long as she avoided the maid, she didn't have to wear the things she hated. If Yuffie listened to direction, they sometimes let her attire slide. But that was only when Godo wasn't in town.

A smile crept up her lips. That was the perk of her father being away all the time. She didn't have to listen or follow direction. When he was here, it was formal this and formal that. It bewildered Yuffie to think about it because her father used to be so carefree and quite frankly obnoxious like her.

"Breakfast Miss Kisaragi!" Another maid chimed from down the hallway. Was she really hungry?

"Coming!" she replied with no intention of joining breakfast.

Tap, tap, tap.

Whirling around, Yuffie found herself searching for the sound. There was a moment of silence.

Tap, tap, tap. A shadow figured appeared outside her window causing her to jump slightly. Her mahogany colored eyes searched anxiously for a weapon. A stick? Yeah, that'll do it! Grasping the long stick she had been carving into a spear, Yuffie drew her breath.

"Quick should do it," she told herself.

One...two...THREE! Pushing the window open, she swung the stick in hopes of meeting the creeper. Yuffie felt the stick collide with a hard object that yelped in response.

"OW, DAMNIT!"

"AHA, TAKE THAT!" She taunted. Smiling haughtily, she soon felt it fade. "Oh..." In front of her stood a familiar blonde who rubbed his bruised cheek. "Sorry Tidus," Yuffie apologized innocently. After a moment of rubbing his cheek, he gave his happy chuckle.

"You could really hurt someone with that ridiculous swing of yours, you know," he lectured. She gave a sly smile in response.

"I know. I use it mainly for creepers at my window."

"Hey!" Tidus protested from the other side of the open window. She gave a laugh in response and then moved closer to the window seal.

"You could always go through the front door. Why are you at my window? And where's Riku and Sora?" Tidus dusted himself off and cleared his throat.

"Aha...Well, they're a little afraid to come around so they sent me instead."

"Figures," Yuffie huffed. "Why, do they have something planned?"

"Apparently some of the kids have hid a few things in the forest and we're going to go play a game to find it. First one to find the markers apparently doesn't have to do any of their chores or homework," Tidus explained. Yuffie raised her eyebrow curiously.

"I can get out of chores and homework since dad's not here. I'm still a little mad at Riku and Sora. I'm not sure I really want to go," She faded off waiting for Tidus to sweeten the deal. She knew he had a small infatuation for her; Yuffie was good at pulling it out and manipulating it tenfold. She could tell Tidus was beginning to panic a little, but cleared his throat once more. Gulping, he didn't want to say it, but it left his mouth.

"You do know that Zack Fair is going to be there and he needs a partner." Yuffie perked right up, but coughed to show that it only _slightly _got her attention.

"Zack, huh?" She hummed. "I just don't think he'll be able to handle this without me." And then her remark was followed by an innocent smile.

Wrong.

Zack Fair could take all the kids in the city on and he would still come out on top picking flowers and drinking soda. Until Godo gets back, he didn't want Zack on the front lines until he could assess Zack's precise benefit since he was a special case. He actually turned eighteen a few days before Yuffie did. In her eyes there wasn't anything that he could do wrong. Zack was the perfect solider and perfect man.

Tidus mumbled under his breathe and then peered around inside around her at the glimmering outfit on her bed. "Oh, did you have something to do today?" Yuffie glanced around and let her gaze fall upon the dress.

"Food, studying, and dressing up, so yeah, _nothing_." A big smile flashed across her face and then copied onto Tidus's face as they giggled.

"MISS KISARAGI!" The maid yelled sharply from the doorway.

"Oh shit, grab me!" Yuffie pulled herself onto the window seal and reach out her arms. She could feel the maid miss her arm by milliseconds as she fell onto Tidus. They tumbled onto the ground staggering a few feet before they fell down. The blonde was quick to pull the young teenager up and run away from the house. Yuffie glanced over her shoulder to see the maid furiously waving her cleaning supplies.

'Huh,' she thought, 'Maybe her and Cid would get along.' And then a smile flashed across her face as her and Tidus escaped into the city.

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Yuffie and Tidus dusted themselves off as they wandered to the supposed 'meeting spot'. When she saw Riku and Sora, they were going to get a swift kick to their groin; her foot was already aching for it.

The morning air filled with some yelling, screaming, and laughter. She heard a few gasps as well when they passed the local bakery.

"What's going on?" Tidus said aloud in question, his blue eyes peering around for an answer. Yuffie could feel her eyes fighting through the morning sun to see what was coming through the main gate of the city.

She gasped. "The troops!" Whirling around to face Tidus, she felt a beaming grin hit her face. They met each others eyes and laughed in joy.

"We're safe again!" Tidus smiled. They began to run to get a closer view. The streets began to become crowded so Yuffie and Tidus did what they know best-climb. Tidus pulled Yuffie on the rooftop of the city's black smith. They were careful to avoid the smoke that had been shimming its way through the chimney. Peering over the edge, her and Tidus tried to make out any soldiers they knew.

"Do you see anyone you know?" She asked. Tidus shook his head.

"No, this must be a unit from the Wutai Mountains." Tidus scratched his head. "Any ranked unit is better than no unit." Yuffie nodded her head in agreement.

"Weren't they supposed to come later this evening?" Yuffie suddenly said aloud.

"They must have not rested and worked through the night. They'll rest all day and be ready for the evening."

"How many do you think there are? Wow, my dad really sent an army, didn't he?" Yuffie beamed slightly. He does care.

"I'm not sure, maybe five hundred? All I know is that my mom will probably be serving dinner to the soldiers tonight," Tidus told her in excitement. Yuffie nodded as well.

"Come on, everyone's waiting!" Yuffie felt herself jumping off the roof and onto some worn boxes. She was running down the street and around the soldiers as she made her way to the main gate. After all, it was the only way out of the city.

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"So are we pairing up or what?" Riku inquired as he winced while talking. His face looked like it was shining misery. A smirk tugged at Yuffie's lips. She noticed Riku's pain while Sora was still on the ground behind him; her aching foot was satisfied by a swift kick to both of their groins.

"Yeah, I think we should," Tidus chimed in hope of going with Yuffie.

"I'm not going with Yuffie," Sora spluttered out trying to capture his breath and rid himself of the pain.

"Me either," Riku added. She glared at the both of them but smiled.

Yuffie secretly glanced at Zack. "That's okay, I'll go with-

"Zack!" A young girl perked out from behind Tidus. Her hair radiated red while her light blue eyes glimmered in the sunlight. "I'll go with Zack." She smiled in Yuffie's direction whose mouth was left gaping.

"Damn," she muttered under breath. Tidus's eyes glimmered as her turned his gaze towards Yuffie. How was Yuffie supposed to prove herself if she never got a chance to be alone with him? The tomboy snorted to herself.

"Sora and I will go together, Selphie and Wakka will be together, Zack and Kairi will go together, and Tidus and-"

"I'm going alone," the young girl huffed. They all turned their gazes in her direction. Well, everyone except Zack; the young soldier was already planning his tactics to win.

"Whoa, hey! You can't go alone," Tidus told her.

"Sure I can," Yuffie replied.

"No," Riku began, "Then that would mean Tidus is going alone."

"No," Yuffie immediately replied, "If you look over there, we have a few stragglers." Yuffie grinned as she saw a few of her friends exit the forest.

"But they know where all the markers are," Tidus fought back. Yuffie growled inwardly. The only reason she came was because of the attractive solider whose raven black hair radiated with light.

"Fine," she muttered, "I'll go with Tidus." A smile beamed on his lips as he heard the confirmation. She didn't want to be obvious in her motives.

"Okay. Each team has a color. Sora and I are blue, Wakka and Selphie are yellow, Kairi and Zack are green and Yuffie and Tidus are red. The goal is to find all your tokens based on the clues given to you at each marker. We will be led to each of our starting points and when you see your first marker, you may begin. Simple enough?" Riku glanced around at everyone to get their agreement. "Alright, let's go."

Each team was lead into the forest through different directions, no one able to make out any of the other players by the time they reached their marker. Yuffie grabbed the first marker and began walking in another direction.

"Whoa, hey! Aren't you going to read the clue?" Tidus gave an innocent look of question. Yuffie blinked in his direction and then chortled out loud.

"Oh yeah! You haven't played with me before!" She grinned. "I might as well tell you now; I know where all of the markers are." Tidus's mouth dropped in awe and query.

"Wait, how?"

"They are always in the same area. There are not many places you can go in this forest before you cross the border into the deep forest. You know we don't go into the deep forest so this is a piece of cake. Here, let's make this faster." Yuffie squatted and began to draw a map in the decaying dirt.

"We're right here," she informed slowly as marked an 'X' in the dirt. "Go west here and grab the two markers. One is usually on the big tree that looks extremely wilted and the other is on a rock by the river. When you have those two, just come east and head back to the city. I'll be heading north to grab the markers they have here," she marked an 'X' again, "And then I'll run back as fast as I can. I'm sure I'll be able to beat you back, but if I don't come back before you, don't worry. I'm just taking my time at that point." It will take maybe a few hours at most. This way, we cut our time in half." Her brown eyes looked up to meet his. She could see his eyes were reading 'skeptical' about the whole situation.

"I don't know about this," he softly said. "What if something happens?"

"Don't worry! I've done this quite a few times. Usually I end up ditching my partner anyway. At least I'm telling you where I'm going." Tidus pursed his lips in protest. He wanted to spend some time with Yuffie; however, he didn't want her to be in any danger either.

"Look," she began, "If you can do this for me, you'll earn massive respect points from me." There she went manipulating him again. Tidus perked up slightly. Nodding, he agreed. "Good," Yuffie smiled while messing up his hair.

And with that, she was gone from his sight. He could feel his throat swell although Tidus wasn't sure if that was because he had a bad feeling or Yuffie had touched his hair.

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The birds chirped in the forest, the sunlight bathing the flowers visible through the trees. The smell of grass lingered in the moist air as Yuffie found herself hopping over fallen trees and rocks. She had one marker in her hand already. In her mind, the only reason she had come out was the impress Zack. If she couldn't be there next to him, she would show him by finishing first. Maybe a strong female who was fast would perk his interest.

Yuffie breathed a happy round of giddy air. She knew she had to hurry. How long had she been out here? An hour? Two? She noticed the sun was starting to head into the direction of its rest; dusk would be here quicker than she thought.

Grumble.

"Damn," she cursed, "I haven't eaten anything all day. Maybe I should have gone to breakfast." Yuffie tilted her head to the side in thought. How many markers was she supposed to get? Three? "Yeah, three." Red was definitely a color that stood out to her. It was easy to spot in the forest.

Her eyebrows raised in excitement. The second marker was hanging off a branch near the small stream that winded its way through the forest.

But where was the third one? The young teen couldn't recall exactly where they had hit it last time. Pushing her way through trees branches that swatted her face, Yuffie began to hum softly. She paced herself down the path the led towards the deep forest. Maybe they put the marker on the edge of the border. There was no way they put it beyond the border. Beyond the border was neutral territory. Although it was protected by the Rebellion, shady figures always turned up every now and again to snoop. Yuffie would be ready if there was anyone though!

The vibrant teen gaited up and down the border to the deep forest double-no triple checking for markers. Nothing. "That's strange," Yuffie told herself. "Maybe they're trying to play it different. I wonder if there is even a third marker." Glancing around again, her eyes found no red standing out. "I guess I'll just go back." Her body turned around automatically towards the city.

Her body tensed up as a thought hit her. What if there was really a marker still out there? They would lose. Pressing her hands to her face, Yuffie groaned. Zack wouldn't be impressed with her at all! But should she cross the border? Yuffie shuttered at the thought. Was risking her life really worth Zack's attention?

Yep.

She felt a smile tug at her lips while she whipped around. "Okay. I won't go too far. There's no way they would put the marker too far. They probably just did this because they know I know where everything is." Yuffie snapped her fingers. Those sneaky bastards changed it up!

A faded wood sign pleaded for Yuffie to use caution as she stepped closer to the forest. Her foot crossed the imaginary line that separated rebellion from neutral land. Pausing, she looked around. Nothing happened. She tip-toed a few steps further and felt herself hugging a tree. Peering around it, she thoroughly looked around. Nothing again.

"Maybe there really is just two," she told herself quietly. Suddenly, her eyes spotted a small red dot in the distance behind an array of three branches. "AHA! I knew it!" Yuffie felt a huge smile crack on her face as she darted over. The quicker she did this, the quicker she would be safe.

As she found herself getting closer, Yuffie's thoughts consumed her. Even though her friends tried to be tricky, she could not be fooled. Coming to a screeching halt, Yuffie raised her eyebrows.

"Huh? What is this?" Before her laid a red handkerchief. It was familiar but she did not know why. She investigated it further. "I.D. U9328. Oh, it's a soldier's handkerchief. Someone must've dropped it on their way into the city." She let out a breath of air. But her heart stopped. The brown-eyed-girl found her gaze wandering a little further on into the trees. It was a body-a soldier's body.

Gasping, Yuffie brought her hands up to her mouth as she dropped the marker. Rushing over to the body, she immediately back away upon arrival. The smell reached her nose as well as her eyes, stinging them to tears. Her throat began to swell in fear as her eyes darted around. How long had this soldier been dead? Who was he? Should she touch it?

At that moment, Yuffie noticed something underneath the soldier's hand. Bending down, she hastily snatched it away from the grip of the fallen soldier.

"My father's...seal?" Once she realized what it was, she immediately ripped it open. It was a letter from her father with news of something. She had to know immediately. As her eyes searched the paper, Yuffie felt her jaw clench in shock as her body trembled. It was a letter addressed to the headquarters in the city.

"Oh no," she gasped.

Her father's letter mentioned soldier's coming next week. She double checked the date over and over. It couldn't be. If the soldiers were coming next week...who were the soldiers that entered the city this morning?

"Oh...fuck!" Yuffie clenched the letter and ran in the direction of the city as fast as her legs could carry her. She could feel her heart pumping adrenaline as fast as it could. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" She yelled. Yuffie had to warn them before it was too late.

As she burst through the woods, Yuffie came to screeching halt. "Oh no!" She cried as she gasped for breath. "Oh no, oh no, oh no!"

The sky was enveloped with black smoke and screams that would send a chill down anyone's spine. Yuffie fell to her knees in a shock that wrenched her body.

Her home was being invaded.

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Author Note:

I hope that chapter was somewhat interesting! Sorry, I just had to give a lot of back story so it can set up the rest of the story. All the romance starts in the next chapter and throughout the rest of the story. Please review and favorite!

Reviews help me be inspired to write my life away so I'd like to say thank you to anonymous for being the first review!

Thank you!

Jaymee


	3. Chapter Two

**BEHIND ENEMY LINES**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in Kingdom Hearts. Just a fan who wants to write fanfiction and indulge herself in her love triangles. :D

_Captured by the enemy, Yuffie tries to stay alive by flying under the radar, but to no avail, she has perked the interest of the Bastion's General and Prince. Leon-Yuffie-Cloud_

Chapter Two

Swirling. Everything was swirling.

The black smoke filled the air as screams reached Yuffie's ears. She was about a half mile outside of the city but the scene emitted such a strong misery, her eyes could not help but look in despair. Her vision was clouded with tears as she felt herself gasping for air. How could the king do such a thing? An innocent person's live just taken away like that? The young girl bit her lip in fury; he would pay for this.

Struggling to stand up, her vision began to swirl. Losing her breath, she fought with her strength to stay conscious in the wake of the terror, but within seconds her world became black.

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A disconsolate ash loomed over the desolate city as there were no longer any piercing cries. The air swirled with sorrow and anguish. Yuffie's brown eyes gradually opened with puzzlement following a throbbing sensation. What happened? She could feel the dirt roil around her affecting her sense of smell and clouding her vision. As she slowly pulled herself up to a sitting position, the young girl let her gaze languidly look around as she took everything in.

When her vision came to, Yuffie immediately choked out a cry as tears streamed down her cheeks. The city was charred from the outside, the smell of the deceased filled air, and there were no signs of activity; the battle was over?

"Sora, Riku," Yuffie sobbed, "Where are you?" Did her friends come back from the hunt to meet such a cruel fate? Perhaps they were in the city fighting their way to victory? She shook her head removing the thoughts from her mind. The only way to find out was to enter the city. Her heart tensed at the thought. What if there were soldiers in the city? How long had she been out? Looking towards the sky, it appeared like it could it be early morning but with all the black clouds of ash, there was no way of telling.

"You have to be strong," Yuffie encouraged herself; "You have to find your friends." Surprisingly, as she pulled herself onto her feet, the young girl found her legs able to drag herself forward. With it being dim outside, perhaps the teen could move around without being noticed. After all, she was as fast as lightning.

She hugged the walls of the city to take cover under the newly falling ash. Even if the city was quiet, that didn't mean the soldiers were gone. Sneaking was something that she excelled at especially since she was small and quick. As Yuffie peered around the gates, she let her gaze dart downward in disgust. The roads were scarred with burn marks and littered with civilian belongings. Her throat began to swell at the sight of dead civilians scattered throughout the street. What a horrible way to die.

Slipping her way into the familiar alleyway, Yuffie found herself climbing upwards to get onto the roof so she could see the city and get a better idea of what the damage was. The young girl choked out a cough as smoke filled her lungs. The residue from the fire was still strong and lingering in the city; it would probably be weeks before the sun would shine on these lands again. Peering over the edge, she couldn't see much of the city as the black fog was covering the distant homes, but the sight still brought Yuffie's tears back.

Homes were wrecked, demolished, and looted. All the hard works of the citizens was gone within minutes of the first battle. It ached to know that many of the civilians were defenseless. But then it occurred to Yuffie.

"What...What if I was here? What if I had not gone out?" She weakly said aloud. If she had not gone with her friends, would she be dead right now? She stepped to get a closer look and squinted to make out what she couldn't see in the distance.

"Hey!" someone shouted. Yuffie snapped her gaze the streets below her. A few soldiers were moving in her direction.

"Oh shit!" She cursed turning quickly. The first thing that came to her mind was not getting caught. With a running start, Yuffie leapt onto another roof, slipping slightly as she caught the edge. "Argh!" She huffed as she pulled herself up. The clanks of the soldier's armor began to get louder as they tried to close in on her.

"Go around back," one commanded.

"Someone get up on the roof!"

In Yuffie's case, she had the advantage. These soldiers had only been in the city for a short period as compared to Yuffie who had lived there much longer. She knew the city like the back of her hand. Maybe, just maybe if she could get to her home, she could get her weapon from her father's suite. But that's only if it wasn't burnt down or looted as well. She grimaced at the thought.

"Don't lose her!" Another called. She could hear them directing each other to flank her efforts, however; they were all on the ground. If no one reached the rooftop, they could only see part of the direction she was going. Her lungs were burning, the ash of the fallen and smoke of the fire invading her body. But she would live, she would survive. The swift teenager leapt onto another building and raced toward the north of the city.

Stopping on another rooftop, Yuffie gasped for air as she tried to catch her breath. Her heart was racing a thousand miles an hour; she thought it might escape her chest because it was beating so hard. But at that moment, her mahogany colored eyes lit up as she felt a rush of happiness envelope her.

"My home! It's okay! Maybe my friends are there," she exclaimed. The thought calmed her mind faintly. To the north, the home of the Kisaragi's stood untouched. It was too far away for her to see what activity was happening though.

"There she is!" A soldier shouted as he pulled himself up onto the roof. Yuffie's eyes widened as she hastily darted in the direction of her home. How far could the soldiers with armor honestly jump on a rooftop? Holding her breath, Yuffie threw herself across another alleyway reaching for the building to the north.

'I'm not going to make it,' she thought, 'it's too far.' Her eyes widened as she smacked into the wall, but breathed in surprise as her fingers caught the edge of the building. Tightening her grip, she struggled to pull herself up, her feet trying not to slip as they used the wall for leverage. Yuffie was able to get her chin above the edge; she could see the top of the building. A crackling sound reached her ears as she soon began to feel herself losing grip.

"Ah," she gasped as she felt herself fall downwards into the alleyway below. The building structure's edge had crumbled underneath her weight sending Yuffie to the floor below. The young girl tumbled into a roll onto the stone floor below her, yelping in pain as she landed awkwardly. Two strong forces grasped Yuffie's arms as they pulled her upward.

"No!" She cried trying to resist.

"Finally caught you," one man chided with satisfaction. She could not see his face underneath his helmet, but she wanted the punch the bastard in the face.

"Stop moving," the other soldier commanded. Yuffie felt a stinging sensation swipe her cheek causing her to cry in protest. The soldier had taken a swipe at her to keep her quiet. More tears fell down her cheeks as she was dragged towards the other soldiers. Was there nothing she could do? She was trained better than this. Godo wouldn't let her get easily captured like this and if she was, she was just proving to him that he was right to put her in this city. He was right to put her away from the front lines.

Jabbing her feet into the ground, Yuffie used her strength to force one soldier into the wall of the alley while pushing herself to the other side to smash the other soldier into the scarred wall. She must've knocked one of the guard's unconscious because she heard shouting from the other side of the alleyway; however, she could still feel a weak grasp on her other arm. Turning her attention to the fallen soldier, she yanked the sword from his side and used the butt to smash it into the other soldier's genitals. The soldier tried to muffle a cry in response but Yuffie had knocked the air out of him. With a smirk, she took off in the other direction of the alleyway to avoid running into the soldiers head on.

At this point with the sheathed sword still in her grasp, Yuffie could feel some of the fear fade away. At the end of the alleyway, she turned a sharp right and darted down the road only to turn left again into another alleyway. Maybe if she was quick enough, she could lose them by taking the roads that were less noticeable. Another soldier stepped in front of her, but to her avail, she slid underneath him using the butt of the sword to smash his genitals.

"Too easy!" She laughed as he fell to the ground. Pushing herself up, the young girl darted once again in the direction of her home. One after the other, a soldier stepped in her way only to come out with misery in the end. Yuffie didn't have an obsession with genitals. It was just the easiest route for victory. Thank goodness for being a woman.

There it was-her home. Out of breath, Yuffie felt herself coming to a rapid stop as she came up to the gates. Grasping the bars, she tried to pull it open shaking it wildly. Had the maids locked themselves inside? Were the soldiers able to enter her home?

"Dammit," she cursed, "OPEN!" Shaking the bars didn't even budge the gate an inch. A twig snapped behind her causing Yuffie to turn quickly. A sharp pain impacted her face knocking her to the ground.

"That's the rebel!" One man explained. Yuffie felt the strength leave her as her head began to spin violently. Her sword, which was still in its sheath, left her hands as another soldier snatched it from her.

"Grab her," a gruff voice commanded. Once again, two soldiers grabbed each arm and yanked Yuffie to her knees and forcing her to stay in that position. Her blurred vision began to return to normal as she lifted her head to see who was talking. One of the soldiers who had her arm grasped forced her head back downward.

"So this is the culprit that took down twenty-two soldiers," the gruff voice began. His eyes were focused on her as he looked at the sword she had held. His face felt a frown take over his lips. "She did not unsheathe the sword? Soldier, what injuries were sustained?" His voice was impatient as he commanded an answer. The two soldiers who had Yuffie's arm looked at one another trying to figure out who was going to answer.

"Sir," one began slowly unsure of his response.

"Soldier, speak up," he commanded once more.

"Many soldiers sustained injuries to the—"

"To the what?"

"Genitals…sir," the soldier informed his commander. The colonel blinked in surprise as he turned his gaze to Yuffie. Yuffie felt a sharp stinging pain graze her neck as it moved to beneath her chin. The colonel had placed his sword beneath her chin to force Yuffie to look upwards. It was almost like a mythical story coming to life before her. A brawny man stood tall before her. His armor shined bright beneath the ash-filled sky, his body vibrant with muscular tone. His clothing must have been made with the finest silks because even in the madness of the battlefield, his attire looked like it fit a god. Her brown eyes studied his face; it was beautiful yet emitted an icy cold aura. A small touch of gray kissed his hair letting her know that he had to have been at least twice her age. His eyes seemed confused though as he forced her gaze to meet his.

"She is nothing more than a mere child," he commented aloud. She could feel herself shrinking underneath his stare. "For someone of this stature to take down almost one unit is quite impressive. But perhaps lucky." Yuffie felt herself sneering at the comment.

"Says you," Yuffie retorted. The blade of his enormous sword sunk a little deeper into her neck drawing a small amount of blood.

"So she does speak," the colonel smirked. "How does one miss a child like this as all her friends and family die with no honor? Where were you hiding?" Yuffie remained silent at the inquiry. He narrowed his eyes at her attempt to ignore him. "Must I remind you that you are in no position to ignore me?" The long broadsword dug a little deeper into her neck causing her to flinch in pain. "Or should I cut off your head right now?"

"Fuck you," she countered.

"Have you no idea who you stand before?" One soldier chimed in. "You kneel before the colonel of Bastion's army, Auron Braska." Yuffie felt a shockwave envelope her body as she heard the name ring in her ears. Auron Braska, the Auron Braska? No wonder he looked like a god; he was a god.

Her eyes darted away from his as a smirk curled back onto his lips. With one push of the broadsword, Yuffie was forced to meet his gaze once more. Auron Braska; Yuffie had heard that name several times from soldiers, civilians, and most of all, her father. He warned her of men like him. The colonel was a ruthless man, his human heart destroyed long ago. He carried a sword that was stained with the blood of thousands of men, the same sword that was piercing her neck at this particular moment. Yuffie's eyes widened. She was going to die, wasn't she?

"Now," Auron began once more, "Where were you hiding? Perhaps there are more of you?" An image of Riku, Sora, Zack and the others flashed across her mind. Auron noticed the glazed look over her eyes. "So there are more of you." Snapping out of her thought, Yuffie growled.

"NO!" She roared. "ONLY ME!" Auron chuckled and looked to other soldiers that surrounded them.

"Search the city. There are more survivors."

"Yes sir," they saluted and took off. Yuffie bit her lip in response. If Riku and Sora knew was what best for them, she hoped they were smart enough to stay in the forest. Pulling his broadsword away from her neck, he moved it to her face. He traced the tip around her lips and slowly moved it her forehead. His sword trail left a stinging sensation.

"Your eyes burn with such a blazing beauty," he commented, which caused Yuffie's eyes to light up with fury. "So now the question is," he began slowly, "what is the best way to kill you?" Fear jumped into Yuffie's heart as soon as the sentence slipped off of his tongue. His sword began to move again to her neck. "Should I cut your head off? Or…" His sword began to move its way down to her tank top. "Should I torture you first?" She felt the sword slice at the material between her breasts exposing some of her cleavage. Yuffie let out a small yelp in protest, which is turned caused Auron to laugh loudly. What could she do? She would not let him take what pride she had left. He would not belittle her.

At that moment, Yuffie used what strength she could muster to pull the two soldiers into one another causing them to loosen their grip on her. Pulling her arms free, in seconds she had stood up with her hands on one of the soldier's sword.

"You'll regret that—"

Yuffie sprung the sword from its sheath and stabbed the soldier. Spinning around, she sliced away at the startled soldier that had been holding her other arm.

"Bitch!" Auron yelled as he swung her sword at her. Losing her balance, Yuffie felt chaos ensue. Her back made contact with the stony ground as she rolled to her right avoiding Auron's swinging sword. He was swift to swing again barely missing Yuffie's diminutive body. Standing up, Yuffie felt a hard blow to her ribs as the air escaped her lungs. Pain. Pain was all she knew at that moment. However, an outcry reached her ears as she tumbled to the ground.

"God damn it!" she heard Auron's gruff voice howl in pain. Through her blurred vision, she could see a sticky red substance pour down his face. A smile twitched at her lips.

"Got…you," she breathed as her sword fell from her hand, her world turning black.

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Cold. Why is it so cold?

_Am I dead?_

What was happening? Was this death? It sure as hell wasn't heaven. Was she in limbo? Or perhaps…hell?

A knack of pain rode its way through her body.

If this was death…then how come I can feel pain?

Her brown eyes slipped opened hazily as her consciousness came back to her. Her senses began to churn as the smell of shoddy, rusted iron filled her nose.

"Urgh," she grimaced as pain shocked her body once more. Yuffie found her it hard to breathe, her breaths short from the discomfort of breathing. Looking down, she lifted her tank top. Black and blue spots blemished her skin unkindly. "Did he break my ribs?" The image of Auron flashed back to her mind with the realization that she was alive. Her face brightened at the thought as her gaze darted around. Slumping her shoulders, the young girl came to comprehend her situation.

Yuffie was being held prisoner.

The air refused to completely return to the young girl's lung causing her to stay sitting against the frigid wall. A groan escaped her. If it were up to the king, Yuffie demise would be wasting away in a cell long forgotten by the world. But then a thought perked her mind.

"Where the hell am I?" She asked aloud.

The cell door creaked open as a few men entered. Without question, one of the soldiers grasped Yuffie's wrist clasping shackles onto them.

"Hey!" She exclaimed in response. A few other soldiers picked her up by her arms, similar to the how she was held against her will back in the city. Being too weak, she could not resist the men who dragged her forward to the depths of the unknown. "Where are you taking me?"

"Be quiet. Do not speak until you're spoken to. For your benefit, I would listen," the soldier warned. Yuffie scowled in response. Who were they to tell her what to do?

'Shut up, Yuffie!' she scolded herself. Perhaps it was best if she didn't say anything. Maybe they would tell her something if she was 'tame'. In front of them was a large door that seemed to be decades old and hardly used in the last few years.

"Hold still," the soldier told her. The man put a bag over her head. She could hear a cracking noise as the door thundered open. They were in a dungeon, but where exactly? Left, right, then straight. Yuffie tried her best to remember the pattern of the path they were taking. She could feel gravel beneath her or some sort of crumbled floor pattern. Were they outside? The sound of laughing voices, fire crackling, and clacking reached her ears as the continued through the area.

With what sounded like the tent flaps being opened, Yuffie was tossed onto the ground. "OW, DAMMIT!" she cursed out loud as they pulled the bag off of her head. "You guys seriously suck!" There was a wave of silence that filled the room as one of the soldiers slipped to the other side of the room, the other staying by her side.

"This is what injured Colonel Auron?" A voice rang in question. Yuffie's gaze turned to meet the figure who towered over her sitting form. Her brown eyes widened as she took in the man that stood before her. He was built similar to Auron, his physique brawny and lean although he did not wear as much armor as the colonel did. On his side was sheathed a long sword; it was decorated in a beautiful black emphasizing the logo of the king's army. His clothes must have been the finest silks as well because the black attire he wore complimented his physique. Was he a god too? But then she got to his face, which left her even more breathless; he had a firm jaw that was clenched in confusion as he stared at her. His eyes were a cerulean blue that were glazed with memories of war. His brown hair was layered with style, yet she found it to be his natural look as if he wasn't trying too hard to impress.

"I'm impressed," he said calmly. Yuffie felt herself flushing at the compliment. "For a weak girl," he added. The young girl narrowed her eyes at the man with a scowl. His attractiveness immediately disappeared. He paced slowly from around the table that held a large map of the region. That must be the map they use to plan their tactical strikes against her father's army.

"Says you," Yuffie replied in a similar fashion that she had done to the colonel earlier. No emotion changed from his face as her words slid of him like water on wax paper.

"Lone survivor of a horror tale and you still have the will to speak. Once again impressive."

"For a weak girl," Yuffie mocked. She then felt another stinging sensation on her cheek as she was slapped by the guard next to her. Unclenching her jaw, she rode out the pain.

"Stupid girl," the guard chided. "First you have no respect for the colonel and now you have no respect for the general. Have you not been taught better?" Through her pain, Yuffie's gaze turned upward toward the general.

"General?" She inquired aloud. Like general of the whole army kind of general? The big cheese?

Putting a foot on Yuffie's back, the soldier kicked her forward onto her hands and knees causing her to yelp in protest. "Kneel before the commanding general, Sir Leon Leonhart. You are only suited at best in this position in his presence." As Yuffie began to make a retort, her heart froze. Leon. _Leon Leonhart? _How did she not connect it? If there was one man to fear in the world, it was the king's right hand man, general of the Bastion army; Leon Leonhart.

She could feel his cold stare bearing into her back sending a chill down her spine. If she thought she was fucked before, she was surely fucked now.

"Enough," Leon commanded to soldier. "Stand down." Without question, the soldier stepped back as he sneered in her direction. Yuffie felt fury building in her muscles causing them to twitch slightly. Pushing herself weakly back to a sitting position, Yuffie soon found the general in front of her leaning down and studying her face. Surprised, Yuffie pulled herself backwards away from him. At the moment she noticed a necklace dangling around his neck. What was it? A...lion?

"Still," he began as he studied her, "No one has ever injured the colonel as much as you have. He no longer has sight in his right eye and on top of that, you took down almost a whole unit. Perhaps you're more dangerous than you appear to be. Where did you receive your training?"

"Training?" Yuffie choked in surprise. "I'm not a soldier." Leon felt a frown appear on his lips as his eyebrows creased with frustration.

"You're lying," he accused. "Now tell me, where did you receive your training? Are you some sort of assassin, special soldier, or new type?" Yuffie narrowed her eyes at the general.

"If you thought I was lying before, what makes you think I'll tell you any of that?" She spat back. Leon's frown deepened as he grabbed her ripped tank top and pulled her closer. Yuffie squeaked in surprise too weak to squirm. Her ribs were killing her; Auron really must have done a number to her.

"I'm not playing games little girl. You're not in any position to call the shots now are you?" Even with his face flustered with rage, Leon's face was still attractive. But it wasn't enough to make the young girl say anything back. She turned her gaze away from his scoffing at the threat. After a moment of silence, Leon calmly spoke, "You sure are something else." Then he threw her back onto the ground and walked over to the table. "Take her out of my sight." And with that, Yuffie felt the soldier's scurry over to her. They pulled her to her feet and dragged her outside the tent.

"What are they going to do with me-?"

The soldiers threw the bag over her head once more and dragged her back inside to her cell. It appeared from the quick glimpse she got before they took away her sight was that she was in a King's camp. What would the general be doing in the middle of nowhere far away from the king?

Profanities rained from Yuffie's mouth coming out muffled underneath the bag that covered her face. With a toss, she was on the floor of the cell once more.

Click. She was locked in.

"You're lucky, you get to live another night." The soldiers laughed as the left her all alone in the dark cell.

Bastards. They were going to pay or her name wasn't Yuffie Kisaragi.

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How long had she been in this cell? Her stomach rumbled with pain from the lack of food. What was it? Two, three days without food? It was a tactic they used to help her make 'wiser' decisions. She strongly regretted skipping out on breakfast the morning of the attack. Every day she was pulled from the cell and interrogated about who she was, where she came from, yet Yuffie kept her silence. Every time she kept her silence, more bruises appeared on her body. It was truly hell.

The lock clicked out of place once more as she was pulled from the cell. Her body had weakened even more from the fatigue, so she could not protest. How many days had they been doing this? It seemed like months but in reality, it was probably only a few days passed a week. Every day she was interrogated, Leon never showed up to greet her with his presence. The first night was the only time she was graced by his appearance.

'Good,' she thought, 'I don't want to see his face ever.'

As they pulled the mask off, she blinked in surprise as she peered around. This wasn't the tent. It was the middle of the camp. She was pushed onto the ground by one of the soldiers who had brought her from the cell. Her body shrieked in pain as her ribs crumbled inside from the fall. Yuffie let out a cry as the pain shot through her body like an electric shockwave.

"If you will not talk, we will make sure your reasons are because you do not have the strength to speak up!" A circle of soldiers surrounded her laughing, chuckling, spitting threats in her direction. One began to kick dirt in her face causing it to sting her eyes. They began to throw rocks in her direction, the ones that impacted lacerating her sensitive skin.

"What? Can't say anything?" one taunted.

"Cat got your tongue?" Another soldier laughed. Tears began to stream down her face, however, Yuffie held her ground. She would never fall to the enemy and if she did, she sure as hell would not let them get satisfaction in her death.

Pulling her up, two soldiers began to push her around causing Yuffie to yelp in pain. With the shackles on her wrists, it was difficult to fight back especially without the energy.

"What happened to you? Can't fight? Huh?" One guy asked angrily. "Say something!" Pushing her back to the ground, Yuffie landed on her behind trying to use her hands to absorb the impact of the fall. The air was knocked out of her as she clenched her eyes shut. She prayed for this to end. She prayed for her death.

Yuffie murmured a response to the soldier.

"What? I can't hear you!" He laughed with a smirk.

"I said," Yuffie breathed, "Only cowardly men trying to compensate for their small genital size push defenseless girls around." There was some silence as some of the soldiers chuckled under their breath. "I would know since there wasn't much to hit when I took you out before."

The soldiers began to laugh at the comment Yuffie made towards the angry youthful soldier. Afraid of the way his comrades were laughing at him, he unsheathed his sword putting it to her neck.

"Perhaps you need to be taught a real lesson," the soldier hissed as he pressed the sword into her neck. The burning sensation ran up and down neck as she bit in her lip in agony. At that moment, images of Riku, Sora, and Zack crossed her mind. If Zack were here, none of these soldiers would even stand a chance. The sword moved downwards and began to cut down the center of her tank top exposing a portion of her chest. The next thing Yuffie knew, a loud smack echoed as the young soldier was face down on the ground in the dirt. A round of gasps and yells filled the air causing her to weakly look upwards.

"Sheathe your sword soldier!" A voice roared as he loomed over the fallen soldier. "You know that you are to never use weapons inside of this camp. This prisoner was supposed to go straight to my tent." Unsheathing his long sword, he held it to the fallen soldier's throat, who trembled in fear. "Explain yourself!"

It was Leon. She could see the fury burn in his eyes as he glared at his disobedient soldiers. "S-Sir," he stuttered as he struggled to come up with an answer.

The general narrowed his eyes as he took a swipe with his sword. The young soldier squealed as his badge was sliced in half. "Get your items and leave this camp. Find your captain; you are now reassigned from this region." Leon looked around intently as he lectured further. "Anyone else involved in the incident will certainly seek punishment from their captains. Now return to your posts." His tone of voice was so intimidating that the soldier's had scattered like roaches within a matter of seconds. The general definitely had a powerful presence. Sheathing his sword, he turned to the battered Yuffie. Kneeling down, he studied the damage she had received. The young girl could not meet his gaze as he looked over her small frame.

Without saying a word, he grabbed her and pulled her to her feet. Her gaze met his filled with question. What was he going to do with her?

"Come with me," he commanded as he tugged at her shackles. Yuffie paused for a moment before stepping forward. A pain shot through her legs and up into her ribs causing her to cry out in pain. Tears stained her eyes as the pain took the air from her lungs. She could not continue forward as she did not have the strength to endure the pain.

"What?" He scornfully looked at her. He noticed some blood bleeding through her shirt. And her exposed chest peeking through the ripped tank top. With a sigh seeping annoyance, Leon swooped underneath her and pulled onto his back. Yuffie's eyes widened at the gesture as he began to move them towards his tent. Words could not fill Yuffie's mouth as she could not think of what to make of the situation. A piggyback ride from the general of Bastion's army? No one would ever believe her. Throwing open the tent flaps, he roughly dumped Yuffie onto a chair causing another wave of pain to wrench her body.

The young girl could not make of what he was doing on the other side of the room, but a few moments later, he returned to her with some bandage and cloth.

"What are you doing?" she choked out from the pain. Of course he did not reply to her question, which caused her brows to crease in fury. He reached down to his waist and pulled out a knife. Yuffie's eyes widened. What was he going to do with that? Grabbing her tank top, he sliced it down the middle. "HEY!" She roared, strength suddenly returning to her as he exposed her upper body. Luckily, she was wearing a bra. At that moment, he used one hand to grab her shackles to prevent her from swatting at him and then he used the other to rip the rest of the tank top off.

At that moment, Yuffie realized it was the first time she got to look at her body in several days. Bruises plastered the upper half of her body, black and blue strained the area of where her ribs were located. "As I thought," he commented. She had a few cuts bleeding from the rocks she had been stoned with. "Please sit still."

"NO!" She roared in response trying to squirm away from him. "I will not let you touch me!" Reaffirming the power he had over her, he yanked on her shackles as she was jutted forward towards his face.

"Listen to me and listen to me well. .move." Yuffie sucked in her breath. Was he going to take advantage of her...? Letting go of her shackles, he reached down for the bandages. Yuffie felt mentally and physically defeated. Even if she wanted to, there was no way she could overpower the general in her state. "Lean forward." The young girl gave him a look of protest, but did as she was told. He began to wrap the bandage around her midsection. Her head began to spin. What was he doing? Why was he being nice to her? It didn't make sense.

"Why?" she finally let slip her mouth. "Why are you doing this?" Leon stopped to look up at her. It felt like an eternity before he answered.

"Because you are not allowed to die."

Yuffie felt a pang in her stomach. What?

"You still have some questions to answer. If you are to die, it will be by my hands, not by causes given to you by nature." The words could not form on Yuffie's tongue for a response. "Stand up," he commanded breaking her from her thoughts. Without hesitation, he took his own command into his own hands and pulled her upward. He grabbed some more cloth and moved behind her to observe the damage caused to her back. There was a moment of silence as she figured he was assessing her back wounds.

Clang.

The bandages hit the chair rolling toward the table. Within seconds, Leon had moved in front of her and grasped her by the arms.

"Who are you?!" He growled as his grip tightened on her arms. Yuffie yelped in pain as he began to shake her. "Why do you have that symbol on your back?" Symbol? Did he mean the tattoo? Yuffie's eyes widened.

"Oh shit," she cursed aloud. The tattoo. Her family symbol was tattooed on her shoulder blade.

"Are you? Are you from the Kisaragi family?" Grabbing her jaw, he forced her to look at him.

"Let me go!" She cried back at him. Pushing her back into the chair, he backed away to look at her.

"You're Godo's daughter! This...this changes everything!" He exclaimed in her direction.

Now that they had her identity, there was no way she was going to leave alive. Yuffie was going to die.

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Author Note: I hope you liked the chapter! I tried to get some Yuffie/Leon scenes going for you. Please favorite/story alert/review. It honestly helps me crank these chapters out and keeps my creativity going. If you guys like the story Warrior, I am (Another Leon-Yuffie-Cloud fic floating around on , a favorite of mine), I think you'll like this story. As you know, Auron doesn't exactly have a last name so I did something that I thought was appropriate for him. This story will definitely be a love triangle and more romantic encounters to come. Thanks Rawrr for the review and thanks to everyone for the story alert. I really appreciate it! P.S. If I get my ranks wrong, I'm sorry!

Much love,

Jaymee


	4. Chapter Three

**BEHIND ENEMY LINES**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in Kingdom Hearts. Just a fan who wants to write fanfiction and indulge herself in her love triangles. :D

_Captured by the enemy, Yuffie tries to stay alive by flying under the radar, but to no avail, she has perked the interest of the Bastion's General and Prince. Leon-Yuffie-Cloud_

Chapter Three

"You're Godo's daughter! This...this changes everything!" He exclaimed in her direction.

Now that they had her identity, there was no way she was going to leave alive. Yuffie was going to die.

Her mouth clamped shut in fear automatically. Leon's face seemed to be searching for the answer of what to do next, his eyes rapidly moving back and forth soaking in her new identity. Yuffie could not find the strength to open her mouth; in fact, she felt herself shrinking slowly into the chair she was sitting on.

Leon paced back and forth with swift and curt motions the emitted waves of stress. In her life, the young girl would never have imagined she would be in the presence of the King's most trusted General let alone see him in a confounded state. It was all because of the tattoo he saw on her back. It was tradition in the Kisaragi family to inherit the family symbol at the beginning of adulthood. Yuffie was starting to see that it was more of a curse rather than a family empowerment.

A chair screeched in front of Yuffie as Leon pulled himself close and in front of her. Only inches away from her face, he began, "You are the only daughter of Godo Kisaragi, yes or no?" Her brown eyes slowly came up to meet his. Should she answer? If death was her only option, the enemy would get nothing out of her. Looking away, Yuffie sucked her cheeks in and bit her lips together. A loud growl escaped the mouth of the attractive general. His large gloved hands grabbed her face forcing her face to look forward to meet his. If this weren't a situation of life or death, Yuffie would have been blushing from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. "_You _are the only daughter of Godo Kisaragi, yes," he emphasized, "or no?" The words rang loudly in her ears.

"Why should I tell you? I've already been tortured, humiliated, and surely, yes surely, I will die here," Yuffie replied back firmly, her words a little muffled due to Leon's grip on her face.

Silence.

And then she felt his grip release from her face.

"You will not die here," he commented. The words kissed her ears.

"What?" Yuffie breathed as her face looked taken back from the comment. Her eyes narrowed in his direction. "I don't believe you." Leon's emotion slowly changed from anger and evolved into mystery.

"You cannot die here." Confused at his words and sudden change of emotion, Yuffie couldn't help but stare at him. It only made sense that she would die here. With that blow, her father would not be able to command in the war. That is why she was put away in a city that was far from the battlefront.

"I…don't understand," Yuffie finally let the words slip out. Leon scooted the chair away from Yuffie and got up. He moved toward the tent exit only turning around right as he reached the door.

"You cannot die here because I am bringing you to the King's castle. You will face judgment there." Yuffie stood up hastily as her eyes widened. The _King's_ castle? The very place that her father was trying to bring down?

"No!" Yuffie exclaimed as some of the gauze wrap fell off of her. Leon smirked at her outcry.

"We leave tomorrow." With that motion, Yuffie felt the swoop of soldiers enter the tent as the General disappeared into the night.

"YOU BASTARD!" She screamed at the top of her lungs trying to rip her arms out of the grip of the soldiers. There was no way she would go down. Words Zack once told Yuffie echoed in her flustered mind; _'Embrace your dreams, and... whatever happens, protect your honor... as a SOLDIER!'_ Yuffie may have not been a 'soldier' but she had to try everything in her power to escape. She would not be the reason this war was lost.

Yuffie sunk her teeth into the arm of the soldier who had a grip on her wrists.

"DAMMIT!" He yelped. Adrenaline pumped furiously through her veins as she let her weight fall beneath her causing the soldiers who had any grip on her to fall into each other. As Yuffie rolled forward, she jumped up quickly to head towards the exit of the tent. A soldier jumped in front of her causing her to abruptly jump to the side and punch the soldier in retaliation to his attempts to stop her.

Pain.

Pain seared through the brown-haired-girl's ribcage as her body screamed in protest. The air left her lungs as quickly as she was tackled by some of the soldiers. There was a loud protest in the tent and anyone outside could only question as to what was going on.

"Get the fuck off me!" Yuffie cried in protest. A hand covered her mouth as another soldier pinned her to the ground. The smell of sweat, dirt, and blood filled Yuffie's senses as she found herself trying to fill her lungs with air.

And then blackness took over her world.

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"Ughnn." The world smelt like hell. If that was even possible. It sure didn't reek of heaven. Yuffie's brown eyes slowly slid open only to snap shut as her senses came to. The pain! If Yuffie had not overdone it in the General's tent, she may have not been in such pain. At this rate, she wouldn't make it to the castle because she was going to curl up in a ball and die so she could get some relief. A cold breeze slowly grazed her smooth yet beaten skin causing goose bumps to erupt on the surface. If there was a breeze, where was she?

Finally able to open her eyes, Yuffie noticed that she was once again behind bars; however, these were not the bars of the cell she had been held in for the last few days of her captivity. The sound of wheels churning and beating against the earth, creaking wood, and mutters slowly reached her ears. At that moment, the young girl realized where she was; Yuffie was on her way to the castle trapped in a prisoner carrier that was being led by a small fleet of Bastion Horses.

The prisoner carrier had no privacy. The bars exposed everything from every angle that you could view Yuffie at. It was probably best for the enemy so they could keep an eye on her and make sure she didn't keel over before they reached their destination. Yuffie noticed that there was a door that was locked tight. Well, at least she knew they didn't build the prison carrier around her.

The fleet came to a gradual stop, the creaking wheels cries slowly subsiding. Sitting up, Yuffie peered around to notice that she was surrounded by a few soldiers. Some were traveling behind the carrier while one resided on each side gaiting at pace to make sure there would be no escape. They had stopped in an area of the forest that was open enough to camp out yet not give away position to any enemy unit…not that there would be any around.

Men laughed as they realized it was time for a break, some of them dispersing to help set up some temporary housing. Yuffie had no idea how far they had come, but she did know that the castle was nowhere near the city she had been residing in. It baffled her that units were able to enter their territory. Did that mean Leon's unit was able to destroy surrounding rebellion military units? Or perhaps they had snuck in under the radar?

"Bastards," Yuffie muttered under her breath.

"And so she lives. How _unfortunate._" The sour words wrapped themselves around the young girl causing her to shiver. That familiar voice sent an enduring uncomfortable chill down her spine.

"Auron, you look quite dashing," Yuffie retorted lowly. She did not have the energy for this. Quite frankly, her words seeped sarcasm. A fresh scar traveled straight down the middle of the colonel's right eye. The skin around his eye seemed to be inflamed as the eye was still forced shut; nevertheless, he carried it well.

With a frown, the colonel studied the juvenile prisoner. "Being caged," he commented abruptly and added with a small smirk, "It suits you."

"Just like that scar suits you," Yuffie snapped back haughtily. Although Auron showed no physical enragement, she could tell his left eye was burning with a desire to kill her. For men like him, it was rare that he was talked to the way Yuffie was spouting at him. Many people feared him just as Yuffie did, yet the rebellions leader's daughter did not know the meaning of overstepping verbal boundaries.

"One day you'll regret all of your words. You'll regret even touching me with your peasantry," Auron warned Yuffie. His left eye narrowed at her confirming his words. It was a promise.

"Until that day," Yuffie replied, "I'll just keep gloating about my victory. I can do that, right? Oh wait, I don't have to ask you for permission. I'll just admire your face in the meantime." She scooted closer to the bars, her ribcage aching even at the slightest movement. A big supercilious smile tugged at her lips, the first smile she felt on her lips in days. Auron moved closer to the carrier so that only Yuffie could hear his words. He gazed upon her, studied her weak form.

"I cannot wait for the day I get to kill you, Kisaragi. It will be slow and you will beg me to stop. Then I will go even slower so that you will continue to cry in your death. You've found the one person in your worthless life that you should have avoided," Auron threatened in a low, indignant tone. Coming from one of the most outstanding colonels to exist in their generation, Yuffie should have been trembling in the corner of the carrier, yet, she found herself gripping the bars and hovering her face in between them.

"Get in line. I already have a list of people ready to gut me. You're no different." Yuffie spoke what she believed to be the honest truth and then added a small mocking smile. Auron grabbed the material of the shirt the young girl just realized she happened to be wearing and slammed her body into the bars causing an echo to ring around them.

"You sure have a mouth on you."

"Colonel Auron," a voice called behind him. The voice was all too familiar as well. He released the grip on Yuffie's new shirt and turned to face the attractive man who stood a few feet behind them.

"General Leon," he commented noting his presence.

"I see everything is…well," he countered with a hint of sarcasm.

"Yes sir." There was a moment of silence between the two as Yuffie rubbed her freshly bruised face. It was weird for Yuffie to see two men with a renowned reputation for authority ego trips obey one another. It was definitely a fake formality since Leon's position was superior to Auron's. She was positive that if Leon was not General, Auron would have had that position no problem, but because he was still around, the Colonel had to give the bare minimum respect. They didn't seem like the best of friends.

"I see. You are in need over by the temporary command tent. Your partner needs a word with you," the blue-eyed general informed Auron making his way to stand in between the carrier and the Colonel. She wasn't sure what exactly his intentions were but the thought that Leon was trying to protect Yuffie from a premature death was definitely plausible.

"Partner?" Yuffie murmured. There's someone equally as dangerous and willing to put up with that bastard? At that moment, Auron seemed hesitant to obey but nodded his head and moved in the direction of the temporary command tent. But not without first shooting Yuffie an icy glare. With that, the young girl stuck her tongue out in response.

"You really should learn to control your mouth," the General commented.

"Hmph," Yuffie crossed her arms staring at him with slight distaste and let her gaze fall away. Reaching into a small bag on his waist, he pulled out a piece of green material. He lifted it up to her cage as if she were supposed to grab it.

"You almost took out five soldiers last night in your condition," he began slowly, "If I had any doubt before, it is now gone. It only makes sense that you are Godo's daughter. As untamed as your skills are, they do have some potential." Yuffie's eyes blinked at the comment before she turned her head towards him. Did he just compliment her in an insulting way?

Before she could say anything else, he added, "You also ruined any progress I made on your wounds. Take this." He jutted the green material forward into her carrier causing her to lean away from it. "You'll be able to heal faster with this herbal ether. Auron may have broken some of your ribs, but the superficial damage should go away soon." Yuffie couldn't help but stare at the herbal ether in his hand. Her mind began to shoot out any possibility that it was poison or a sleeping agent. Narrowing her eyes with a lack of trust, she did not motion that she was going to take it.

He pushed his hand with a forward motion again. "I have no reason to kill you at the moment if that's what you're thinking."

"Don't blame me if I don't believe you." Yuffie was right. Captured by the enemy didn't exactly give her confidence in their supplements. "It could be a sleeping agent."

"Would you rather be in the pain that you are? Suit yourself. You can ride the next week out in misery." Just ask he pulled it back, Yuffie snapped it from his hand with a swift motion. The camp seemed to bustle back to normal, all the soldiers ignoring the conversation going on between the two of them. It was probably in their best interest not to eavesdrop.

Unsure of what to do next, Yuffie let her thoughts slip out of her mouth before she could stop. "Why are you helping me?" Was the cruel Leon Leonhart on the side of the rebellion leader's daughter?

"Like I said before, you cannot die. Not at this moment." He ran his gloved hand through his alluring brown hair and sighed. "Nothing more." Yuffie's stare sank into a glare. Damn that pretty bastard.

"If I didn't know any better, I think you like having me around," the young girl remarked to herself. A charming, yet cold laugh filled the air as Leon looked at her.

"What did I say about that mouth of yours? You really are stupid." Yuffie felt a flush of anger flash across her face before she turned her back to him.

"I do not envy the stick that is lodged up your asshole." Her words were sour and filled with annoyance in his direction. Ironically, Leon laughed again.

"You are certainly entertaining," he told her with one last look before leaving Yuffie to isolation. Her hand twitched reminding her that she had the herbal ether in her hand. Lifting it up, Yuffie slowly let her eyes check out the green material. It looked like it had once been a plant that had been ground up and cooked into a flat sheet. Was she supposed to eat it? Shoving the whole strip into her mouth, a wave of warmth shot through her jaw. Yuffie's eyes widened as she sucked on the strip.

"Well I'll be damned!" She told herself. The warmth circled throughout her body causing her to give a shiver of satisfaction. What was this wonder drug? Then she felt it overtake her body with a swift motion. Her eyelids felt heavy, her body becoming sluggish. "That son of a bitch."

Yuffie passed out in the carrier.

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"You're such a dog."

"Me? What?! Nooooo, I'm just having a good time!" Laughter filled the air as crackling fire could be heard. The chirps of crickets rang through the forest as men bustled around and chatted. Some men let out hardy laughs and teased their friends while others were engaged in strong quiet conversation. Yuffie could feel herself slowly coming to, her mind groggy from the long nap. How long had she been out? She was just so comfortable that she didn't even want to move. Her back was facing out to the soldier's campfire and tents, the same position she had passed out in.

"Is that what she said?" Another soldier shot back and added, "I don't think courting your sister is a good time!" Yuffie heard the sound of a fist impacting another soldier.

"She isn't my sister!" And then the soldiers began to laugh. "Hey, hey, hey! I'm an only child. Just because she looked like me, it doesn't mean a thing!" Once the laughter died down, another soldier brought up another topic.

"Speaking of only child, what's up with the prisoner?" A soldier with dark red hair spoke. The laughter began to fade away and the tone of the air began to immediately become serious.

"Shhh! She's right over there," one soldier informed the others.

"Pssh, General Leon gave her a sleeping aid. She's supposed to be out for days," another soldier added. Yuffie closed her eyes again and thought to herself, 'I knew it. The bastard drugged me.' They looked around at one another to see who was brave enough to speak first.

"Why would he do that?" The first soldier Yuffie now associated as 'dog' inquired aloud.

"Commander said something about shutting her up for the trip. Apparently she's really obnoxious and has quite the mouth on her."

"Has anyone really gotten a look at her? She's really small. No threat in my opinion," Dog commented. A few of the soldiers muttered in agreement before another soldier with brown hair spoke up.

"Yeah small but vicious. Holy shit, you guys weren't there when we were chasing her in the city. I have no doubt that she is Godo's daughter. She knocked Boot's out."

"Boots?!" They gasped at one another. At that moment, Yuffie felt as if a thousand eyes were boring into her back. She could sense all of the soldier's staring at her prisoner carrier, however, she didn't move. If she played up her 'sleeping' state, Yuffie could get more information, information that could be precious.

"Not to mention Colonel's scar. No one has ever landed anything like that on him." With that note in the air, Yuffie could tell that her actions had silenced the soldiers. A smirk tugged at her tired lips before she listened to the soldier's conversation.

"We were really lucky she was in that city. The war has turned in our favor now! Godo must be pissed!" All the soldiers laughed cheers of joy. The bastards.

"Hey," Dog commented, "Anyone else notice the General checking on her a lot? I mean, I know she's Godo's daughter but he comes by almost every hour. We all know that one of us could do that." Yuffie's lips pursed in surprise. Leon checked on her? "If I didn't know any better, I think he's taken a liking to her." The thought caused a small flutter in Yuffie's stomach. No way. Not in a million years would she perk his interest. Right...? There was a silence before the first soldier spoke.

"Dude,...He's not a dog like you." They all began to laugh hysterically at the comment. The thought of Leon being a player just didn't seem to fit his cold-hearted stature. The sound of footsteps moving across the forest floor indicated that the soldiers were turning in for the night. A few made their way toward her direction. That must have been her watch dogs for the night. Of course they couldn't leave her alone for the night regardless of whether or not she was drugged with sleeping medicine.

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A calm breeze swirled around the carrier as the sound of the creaking wheels beat against the earth. They were traveling once again, Yuffie still pretending to be in her sleeping state. Even though the herbal ether was a sleeping medicine, her body felt a hell of a lot better than it has since the whole situation started. The smell of the ocean filled her senses giving her the thought that they were making their way out of the territory that was once rebellion and now remained neutral. At that moment, Yuffie peered around noticing that none of the soldiers were watching her. They were fixated on the task at hand; carrying supplies, putting one foot in front of the other, and moving forward. Because of the medicine, they had already forgotten about her. There was a small amount conversation fluttering through the fleet. The long days of walking seemed to be taking a toll on the men. Business was now, play was later.

At that moment, the young girl lifted herself up slowly looking at the surrounding. They were still in the forest; however, they were on a trail that was lifting them to a higher elevation. It made sense that there was only one soldier on the side of the carrier as the path they were traveling on wasn't very wide. A wide smile spread across Yuffie's face as hope suddenly appeared in her eyes. Laying herself back down, Yuffie began to let her mind race. If the path wasn't very wide, that meant the wheels only had a small amount of room to move. If the horses were to steer off course with the carrier still attached, that meant she might have a chance at freedom...or death. Still, the young girl was willing to take the chance. What could she use? All she had to do was frighten one of the horses and then her opening would come her way.

'Okay Yuffie,' she thought to herself as the adrenaline began to pump through her veins, 'That soldier is your only chance for escape. Pick your opening.' A plan was beginning to form in her mind as she spotted the item that could help her achieve freedom. 'Okay, here we go!' Rolling over to the side of the carrier, Yuffie reached through the bars and grabbed the helmet of the soldier that had been walking by the carrier. With all of her strength, she pulled the soldier into the bars the separated her from the outside in a similar fashion Auron had done to her the day before.

CLANK!

The loud clank echoed causing a chaotic moment of confusion as the stunned soldier fell down and rolled off the path. Yuffie felt the carrier jerk as the horse closest to the carrier reared up and smashed into the horse in front of it. The impact of the horses smashing into one another jerked Yuffie to the back of the carrier into the cell door causing the contraption to wobble.

SNAP!

Branches began to snap as the wheels of the carrier veered off the path.

"SHIT! Someone grab the horses!"

"Stop it from rolling over!"

With that comment, the carrier tipped over and began to roll down the path. The horses slowly tumbled down the ravine after Yuffie, who was being thrown from front to back, left to right, up and down, and side to side. It seemed to be a lifetime before the carrier reached the bottom of the ravine. A pounding headache throbbed as Yuffie's blurred vision slowly returned to normal.

"She's down there!" Yuffie's eyes suddenly snapped to the cell door.

It was _open_.

Scrambling to the door, the brown-haired-girl pulled herself through the twisted metal and quickly pulled herself to her feet. It was like she was experiencing the outside world for the first time. The smell of pine sap reached her nose along with the smell of the sea salt.

"The prisoner has escaped!" Yuffie snapped back to her senses as she looked up the ravine to see soldier's sliding along the dirt path with the intent to capture her again. It was an almost instantaneous motion as the young girl darted in the direction of the strongest smell; toward the ocean.

With the shouts of the soldiers, it only encouraged Yuffie's aching legs to pump faster as she pushed herself through the forest. The sound of the ocean waves smashing against the rocky cliffs rang through her ears as she managed to get closer. Her mind furiously went through every possible scenario of what was going to happen in the next few seconds, however, she could never get a clear result because her senses were in pandemonium as the adrenaline had taken over her. Riku, Sora, Zack, her father and even the scrooge-like maids flashed across her mind every step she took closer to the ocean.

And then she saw her escape route. In front of her about a hundred yards away was the view of a cliff. She could see the ocean as she broke through the forest, a refreshing cool breeze beating against her skin as she darted closer to the cliff. If Yuffie had been in her right state of mind, there was no chance in hell she would jump off the cliff; however, she didn't see any other option. The sound of heavy footsteps echoed behind her. That was it. It was decided. She was going to jump.

"Fuck it!" she yelled, her breath wavered from the lack of air. Pushing with her right leg, Yuffie felt herself leap over the edge of the cliff toward her freedom. That was it. She would find out if this was her moment of freedom...or death. In her mind even with fear present, she was happy that even if she did not make it, she would not die at the hands of the enemy. She would die on her own accord.

A strong force tugged at Yuffie's waistline as the air left her. Something wrapped around her waist pulling her back from the edge of the cliff. Her eyes widened as she realized her freedom was slipping through her fingers.

"No!" She cried as she was pulled back, tumbling and rolling with the person who had grasped her. Once they came to a stop, Yuffie felt a heavy force on top of her causing her lungs to shrink.

"God damn!"

Gasping for breath, both soldier and prisoner coughed and struggled as the stronger of the two held the other down.

"N-Nooo!" Yuffie gasped as she realized who had caught up to her. With both of her arms held down, her body was unable to move as her captor sat down on her stomach. Also catching his breath, anger flashed across his face.

"You could have killed yourself, you do know that, right?!" Leon's icy blue eyes erupted with emotions Yuffie could not fathom. "How stupid are you?!"

"Get off of me!" She commanded as his heavy weight continued to keep her body from squirming in any direction.

"Apparently really stupid," Leon added to her command.

"I'll kill you, I'll kill you!" At this point with Yuffie's freedom gone, she was lashing out anything that came to her mind. A small curt laugh escaped Leon. Her threats were humoring him. The sound of stomping feet echoed around the two struggling fighters.

"I'd like to see the day that happens!" He laughed once again, the thought humoring him momentarily.

"Sir!" A few soldiers cried as they came closer. "Here!" One of the soldiers handed him an iron shackle. Letting go of her arms, he grasped her wrists and yanked them upward. A sharp pain stabbed at her wrists as Leon clamped the shackles shut.

"Better safe than sorry," Leon commented toward Yuffie. "You never know with you anymore." Getting off of her, he yanked her up by her shackles. Surprised, Yuffie's body obeyed with ease (and a little bit of pain.) The General turned in the direction of the soldiers that had followed him.

"Get a status on the carrier and the horses that went down with it. I'll deal with this problem right now." His dark tone caused Yuffie to shiver as the adrenaline began to leave her system.

"Sir!" They responded and ran off in the direction of the ravine. With the adrenaline leaving her system, Yuffie began to realize just how tired she was. And how much fear had taken over her system. Leon had turned his attention back to her, his icy blue eyes boring into hers.

"Never," he began, "never in my life have I had so much trouble with such an inferior girl. You are an army of your own." Yuffie froze in place unsure of what to think. Was he going to kill her right here? Perhaps he wasn't going to wait for the king. "You are so desperate to get away that you would throw away your own life?" His eyes narrowed as he finished his last sentence. "Now I know better. You're sneakier than you look. Using any available resources to get away. I have misjudged you, Kisaragi."

"Yuffie," she retorted unconsciously. Leon seemed surprised at the comment, eyes widening and then slowly narrowing again. Yanking her chain, he pulled her stiff body in the direction of the ravine. Without resistance, Yuffie followed. Her mental and physical health deflated with discouragement as he pulled her in the direction of her unwanted future.

At that moment, a familiar face greeted Leon from the edge of the woods. Auron stood with his arms crossed not even looking at the two who walked by him.

"The carrier's gone and so are three horses," the Colonel commented as they passed him. Auron's gaze wandered over to the stunned Yuffie. "What are you going to do with that?" He questioned referring to Yuffie. "We do not have the resources for another cell." Leon looked at Auron and then back over to Yuffie. He thought a long, hard moment before turning his gaze back to Auron.

"She'll ride with me." Yuffie's eyes widened in protest, the numbing fear suddenly gone.

"The hell I will!" She protested. With that motion, Leon yanked her shackles downward asserting his power over her. Yuffie, flustered, had no choice but to obey.

"Find your partner and get your men in order. We are leaving in less than a half an hour."

"Tch." Auron sneered in the direction of the two and nonchalantly made in the direction of his men. With the Colonel gone, it left the two of them alone. They were not far from the soldier's; however, no one could hear their conversation.

"I don't want to ride with you," Yuffie told Leon.

"You blew any say fifteen minutes ago." A sour frown erupted on her lips.

"Not that I had any say in the first place," she reminded him. He turned his whole body to face her, his hand still gripping her shackles.

"Would you like to ride with Auron?" Immediately, Yuffie shook her head. Leon smirked. "That's what I thought. You are too radical for anyone else here apparently. You are _not _escaping again." Her eyes narrowed at him. That's what he thought.

Pulling her toward the top of the ravine, Leon must have not realized his strength because he almost had her feet dragging on the ground because of how hard he was tugging on her shackles. Looking at the aftermath, Yuffie noticed soldiers dragging the carrier to the bottom of the ravine and the dead horses that had suffered from being smashed by the carrier. They were probably going to salvage the meat and abandon the carrier as it was of no use to them now.

Looking at the line of soldiers, the youthful girl noticed just how long the fleet was stretched out. Leon was probably leading the pack at the front and then the units extended about three hundred feet backward counting for almost a total of five hundred soldiers. Now that she thought about it, the odds of her escaping were tremendously low. It was amazing she made it as far as she did. A small smile tugged at her lips.

Her father would be proud.

At the top of the ravine, the two were greeted by a few soldiers who prepared a black stallion who was decorated with stranded of gold fibers and embroidered Bastion Kingdom logos. Yes, this was the horse of a god. At that moment, Yuffie peeked over at Leon to observe his features. This man fit the definition of every woman's fantasy; however, if they knew his personality, he was a cold man who showed very few mercies. He was a cold-blooded knight before he was a human.

"Here you go, sir. She's all calmed down and ready for you."

"Good work," he complimented the soldier sternly before handing the shackled Yuffie over to another soldier. Checking out his horse, he ran his gloved hand across the luminous black hair that cascaded down the horse's face.

Yuffie felt two soldiers grab each arm, pushing her toward the side of the horse. She felt herself being lifted onto the saddle of the horse and held steady so she would not fall off. The General looked around before exclaiming in the direction of the soldiers, "Time to move out! In the name of Bastion!"

"Hurrah!" The soldier cheered in his direction. With one swift move, Yuffie felt the General settle down behind her on the horse. One hand gripped the reign of the horse and then the young girl felt an arm enclose around her waist area. Leon was making sure she wasn't going to escape or fall off of the horse. This time around, even though no one was in front of her, she could feel her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. He snapped the reigns and his black beauty strutted in the direction of Bastion. About twenty feet behind him, Auron's horse slowly strutted forward and then the chain of men began to follow.

They traveled in silence for a good while. Yuffie took in the scenery, the air against her skin, and the feel of the General behind her. This was probably the closest to the opposite sex she had ever been. Not the most ideal situation in her opinion.

"How long am I stuck with you?" she finally asked.

"Three more days." Three more days?! She was stuck on this horse with him for three more days? Yuffie felt her spirit deflate as he chuckled. Maybe he noticed her sudden sulking.

"Most women would die to be you right now."

"I would never wish this upon anyone," Yuffie retorted.

"Hmph," Leon replied. "I see you take things for granted."

"If women knew how much of a bastard you are, I doubt they would want to be me."

"And if men knew how much trouble you are, you would never see the opposite sex again," he commented. Yuffie puffed out her cheeks at the comment.

"You guys just don't know how to handle a girl like me. Speaks for your character, doesn't it?" Leon felt a smirk tug at his lips.

"I will say that you are not like any other women I've met." Yuffie's eyes widened with surprise at the comment. Where was he going...? "You have taken down soldiers without so much as a weapon, you have almost escaped from the enemy, and you can't control your mouth around men who would make others shrivel in the corner with so much as a look." The young girl became overwhelmed with silence. "I'd say you're potentially a good choice for a mate." The comment made Yuffie froze her mind unsure of what to think. Where was he going with this? Was he complimenting Yuffie? What was he insinuating? And then she felt a tug at her waist as Leon's arm wrapped a little tighter.

"But then we look at this weak body with no meat, lack of femininity, and proneness to stupidity."

"Fuck you too," She retorted.

Even though Yuffie was not aware of it, Leon flashed a genuine smile for the first time in her presence.

"See what I mean?"

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Author's Note: Finally! I was finally able to update. College started in January and I have been full speed ever since. I apologize for the wait. I will try and update faster next time. The reviews help inspire me to update faster. Cloud appears in the next chapter so for those of you who are waiting for the Cloud interactions, just remember that it WILL happen in the next chapter! And those of you who are for Leon, I hope you enjoyed the interaction from this chapter. Let me know what your thoughts are about their moments. If I get enough traffic and reviews in this story, I will start making some fan art so you guys can get some visuals. Thanks again!

Leon's Hubby: Thank you so much! I really appreciated your review. I hope you enjoy the rest of what comes out!

orchardofmines: Next chapter will be more of a Cloud chapter since he is finally being introduced. Thank you for the review! It was so much fun to read. Don't worry; I am not just going to discard Sora and everyone else. You'll find out what happens to them!

Knock-Out92: Out of all the fan fictions out there, Warrior, I am, was truly a favorite of mine. I will go as far to say that it inspired this fic! Your review gave me a good laugh because I was in the same boat for the longest time. I couldn't figure out my password from way back when and then when I finally did, it was time to buckle down and go through everything. I hope you read the next chapter because your review helped inspire me to crank this one out. Enjoy!


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